Banana Bread Mug Cake

Got a ripe banana, 5 minutes and a microwave? Check out this awesome Banana Bread Mug Cake Recipe! One of my most pinned recipes and still a favorite!

Y’all, banana bread is one of my favorite comfort foods. And I don’t think I’m alone on this one. Maybe it’s because we all end up with a semi-past due banana from time to time and want to come up with a way to use it, like my favorite, Banana Bread with Nutella Swirls, or maybe it’s cuz we all secretly want to feel healthy while eating cake. 😉 Either way, this single serve mug cake recipe is now my magic trick for when that one banana is begging to be used.

What is a Mug Cake?

Mug cakes are single serve cakes in mugs prepared in the microwave. They are fast and easy! Plus, being single serving, they are great portion control for those of us who lack the will power to keep an entire cake nearby without nibbling. This Banana Bread Mug Cake is one of my favorites to make.

How do I bake a Mug Cake?

For a few years, I have seen recipes floating about for ‘mug cakes’ – where you mix the ingredients in a cup and plop it in the microwave. The idea is pretty neat, we just don’t do a whole lot of microwaved anything. I didn’t have a microwave at my parents’ house, so I rarely think to use it now that one sits there taking up valuable counter space. But guys, cake for one in like 5 minutes. Magic. That is a mug cake.

A friends mom gave me a recipe for a chocolate mug cake a while ago and I meant to try it, but the paper got shuffled in with life and there went that. It wasn’t until I saw this recipe over at Vittles and Bits that I was reminded of wanting to give the whole baking in a microwave oven idea a try again. And this one was banana bread.

How to bake a banana mug cake?

This one is easy. If you have a ripe banana, chances are you have the rest of the ingredients to bake a banana mug cake. Gather them up and stir together in one mug. Pop in the microwave and a few minutes later, enjoy!

So, this small portion, quick fix banana bread is the perfect excuse to give the old microwave oven, and mug cakes, a try. And a perfect portion for myself.

Can I bake a mug cake in the oven?

We get this question a lot, and the short answer is no. Microwave mug cakes are about quick and easy single serve cakes in microwave-safe mugs. In my opinion, it’s best to keep mug cakes to the microwave for safety. Go on and get wild and bake a full cake or banana bread in the oven if you are feeling wild.

However, if you were to have an oven-safe mug, you could bake a mug cake in the oven. You would need to adjust the temperature to 325 and the cook time, according to your oven-safe mug and wait. Also, if you like this idea, steaming a cake in an aluminum can in the oven is also a beautiful way to create a small cake.

This banana bread mug cake has been pinned thousands of times and I know I have made it more than a handful when I am in need of a quick snack! This IS not the best ever “banana bread” I’ve ever had, and trust me, I know freakin fantastic banana bread. But it’s a great quick fix, the “I have an overly ripe banana on the counter that I could toss in the freezer or use right now,” kind of bread. Perfect for a single serving or to impress an unexpected guest!

If you’ve tried this Banana Bread Mug Cake recipe or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagam@passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter& Facebook.

Banana Bread Mug Cake

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

Got a ripe banana, 5 minutes and a microwave? Check out this awesome Banana Bread Mug Cake Recipe! One of my most pinned recipes and still a favorite!

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp 1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp milk

1 ripe banana mashed

Instructions

Spray a microwave safe mug with cooking spray.

In a bowl, or right in the mug, whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add egg and combine until just incorporated with dry ingredients. Mix in vanilla, oil, milk and mashed banana.

Pop into the microwave for up to 3 minutes, with no fear to stop and check after 90 seconds for doneness.

Like all magical things that come out of the microwave, the inside of this will be hotter than the surface of the sun when you first remove it from the microwave. Give it a few minutes.

I actually learned about mug cakes recently (maybe that tells I’m not much of a baker?), and have been wiling to give a try. You are right – there are great banana bread out there and cooking in a mug may not be the perfect result…but when I crave for banana bread any time of the day, I think this is a great recipe to go to, or if I only have a single banana left…. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe, Kita!

Freaking amazing! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I added a handful of chocolate chips to the batter, and spooned some homemade caramel sauce over the top when it came out of the microwave. It’s WAY to easy to be this delicious!

You do NOT need an EGG!! Banana acts like an egg in quick bread recipes. My full-size banana bread recipe doesn’t even call for an egg. Eliminate the egg and this will be perfect. I sprinkled mine with cinnamon and sugar before microwaving, and also used a bigger “mug” (gravy boat).

I made this, it rose out of the mug I used by about 5″, it did eventually sink back down. It was VERY spongy and chewy. Not to bad as far as taste though, if I made it again I would eliminate the egg and I would definitely use some nutmeg.

I tried this recipe, and it came out real tasty but super chewy. No bread texture. But that could probably be because I substituted spiked egg nog for the milk. It was supremely tasty, though! Sprinkled some cinnamon and sat back to enjoy. Kind of enjoyed me of this asian delicacy because of its texture. You should try the substitution! Don’t use an egg or vanilla or milk. Just add the equivalent in spiked egg nog. DEEEELICIOUS.

I just made this and it turned out great. I added 2 tbsp of milk chocolate chips cos I love the combination of banana and chocolate. It had great texture and the perfect amount of sweetness. Beware, it is ridiculously hot and needs to be cooled for a bit. I ate it with a glass of cold milk. Next time, I would divide it between two mugs as the one serving was quite filling.

Hello. Thank you for the recipe. I tried making it. It turned out ok. I didn’t have brown sugar so I substituted with white sugar so maybe that was the difference. Also, I think adding a bit of cinnamon would make the recipe better because it really just tasted like a hot banana.

Hmm, I did 90 seconds, then 60, then 30, then 30, then 40. Still too moist. In total I did 4 minutes and 10 seconds. I think 4.30 or even 5 would have done it. Not sure what microwave I use, but other mug cakes take only a minute and a half. Guess it’s the banana that really affects the cooking time.

I make banana oatmeal, it takes a little longer to cook than the recipe above – I microwave it ‘slowly’ for 10 minutes on the very lowest setting and stir in the mashed banana at the end – but it tastes great with a little sprinkle of brown sugar. 🙂

Just tried this recipe! Love it, tastes great, mine was done in 90 seconds also! The hardest part for me was finding the ingredients scattered all around the kitchen, haha! Can’t wait to try this again when I get back to college. Thanks for sharing!

Will try this without egg next time, but there certainly will be a next time! Frost with Nutella for an extra treat. I only microwaved it for 90 seconds, then 40, then 20. The bread kept rising from the mug like a monster from the deep and I needed to pause frequently so that it wouldn’t explode.

I just tried ths recipe and It is ok. Mine didn’t turn out to be bread, it was more of a dense bread pudding type of consistency. That was dissaponiting. I added less sugar as I don’t like very sweet foods. I added blueberries and a pinch of cinnamon. The blueberries were a great addition. Next time I will make it with a walnut streusel I think it needs texture. And maybe les time in the microwave.

so I was rreallyyy craving something sweet late at night and the only thing I had was a much too overly ripe banana, so I searched this recipe up and was delighted!! problem was that I didnt have any baking powder or soda but no problem I did without anyways (yes I was that desperate). it turned out amazing! without the baking powder it was more like a wet banana bread pudding (in a gooood way) it was the bomb! I added some walnuts in the mixture as well and topped it off with a little chocholate spread I pinched off my housemate 😛

Tried this, and isn’t very good… I think it could possibly use more flour, as the cake itself is very mushy and gel-textured even after cooking it for three minutes. (I’m pregnant and the consistency is getting to me…) This isn’t very banana bread like, but maybe baked pudding or something? Sorry, not a fan of this mug recipe!

First time I decided to try making a mug cake it’s insanely easy and good. Was laughing my ass off watching it in the microwave rising up out of the cup.great recipe I added honey and crushed almonds turned out relish?

I have made a few mug cakes. This one was pretty good. A little too sweet for me, but overall pretty good. I prefer the chocolate mug cakes (even though I love banana bread). A piece of advice. Always eat mug cakes warm. They do not taste the same when room temperature.

[…] The catch is that one cannot use twice as much baking soda, like I did. You’ll notice that the bread is excessively spongy and has a bit of a…muffin top. Bahahaha. Sorry — is February too soon to begin making weight jokes? Maybe next month. Anyway, even with it’s expansive results, the bread was deliciously good. If you’d like to give this top-secret, incredible recipe a try (and amaze your guests with your domestic cooking skills!), you can find the instructions here. […]